'Heroes' Co-Star Masi Oka: 'Hollywood Still Won't Cast Asian Leads'

OKINAWA – Japanese-American actor, writer and special effects creator Masi Oka -- best known for his role in NBC's Heroes -- says Hollywood isn’t ready to cast Asian faces in lead roles yet.

“It’s changed in Hollywood, but only so much. You can’t get Asians cast in leads yet. Maybe as a second lead, but the lead is still going to be Caucasian or African-American,” Oka told The Hollywood Reporter. “But Hollywood is fickle, it follows trends. If a show or a film did well with an Asian lead, then it would take off.”

Oka spoke with THR at the 5th Okinawa International Movie Festival, which he is attending to help establish a collaboration between Yoshimoto Kogyo, Japan’s biggest talent agency and organizer of the fest, and the Second City comedy troupe.

“I grew up bicultural, reading manga in America. I’m a product of that,” said Oka. “I want to act as a bridge between Japan and America.”

Taking a group of local high school students through an improvisation workshop, Oka spent an hour and a half schooling the youngsters in the Second City method, which he learned himself when trying to make the transition from SFX to acting.

Oka believes the long tradition of political comedy in Second City is something that Japan can learn from. Japanese television comedy is almost entirely lacking in political content, despite the country’s politicians being ripe for satire: the prime minister has changed no fewer than six times in as many years.

“Japan needs political humor and satire,” said Oka. “The political system here isn’t working, it needs to change.”

The workshop, which is a trial project due to be expanded this summer, is part of Yoshimoto Kogyo’s plan to turn Okinawa into an entertainment hub and give the local economy another industry that can help replace its reliance on the U.S. military bases that occupy nearly a fifth of its land.

Okinawa currently hosts three quarters of the U.S. military facilities in Japan, and nearly half of the 50,000 troops stationed in the country. There are currently plans to reduce the island’s burden, including a shift of 4,000 Marines to Guam. However, Okinawa is Japan’s poorest prefecture, the average income is less than half of that in Tokyo, and the local economy relies heavily on the money the U.S. forces bring.

Earlier in the week, Oka also appeared on a panel advising Asian creators how to pitch shows to Hollywood.

Although Oka says he would like to do more work in Japan, he concedes that the lower budgets, a fraction of those in Hollywood, are a stumbling block.

“No offense, but the money is different, but I would consider something if it was a really meaty role,” said Oka. “But my agents know I’d be asking them a really big favor.”